Jonathan Gates reports from Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont. Howmars is a certified organic dairy farm, one of many Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative farmer members who supply the milk that goes into making Stonyfield's yogurts and smoothies. The entire family pitches in on this third-generation farm. Jonathan and his father, Howard, converted the farm from conventional dairy farming to organic 9 years ago. Meet Jonathan. He farms with his wife Karen, sons Benjamin, Justin, and Noah, and Jonathan's parents, Howard and Mary.
And, of course, the cows.
November 15, 2005
Moo-vie News: Turkeys gobbling happily in Franklin, Vermont
A few weeks back--before snow came and Daylight Savings Time ended--Jonathan captured his flock of turkeys on camera while they nibbled and gobbled away. The turkeys love being out on fresh green grass and clover. Jonathan's family raises organic turkeys for sale each year. Watch the video by pressing the big arrow in the middle of the screen. (Quality and speed will vary depending upon your computer.)
Moo-vie News: Turkeys gobbling happily in Franklin, Vermont
A few weeks back--before snow came and Daylight Savings Time ended--Jonathan captured his flock of turkeys on camera while they nibbled and gobbled away. The turkeys love being out on fresh green grass and clover. Jonathan's family raises organic turkeys for sale each year. Watch the video by pressing the big arrow in the middle of the screen. (Quality and speed will vary depending upon your computer.)
Saturday, October 8, was the day we processed the 48 turkeys we had been raising since mid-June here at Howmars Farm. The birds were 18 1/2 weeks old and were in great shape from all the organic grain and pasture they had been feeding on. This year we had mobile processing unit come right to the farm to do the birds. This way the turkeys didn't have to be loaded into the back of our pickup and transported for over an hour to an unfamiliar farm to await their fate.
The outfit that came to our place was Cabin View Farm, a poultry farm in Littleton, NH, owned by Ray Garcia. Ray had kindly worked us into his schedule, and he arrived a little after 11 AM to get set up. His operation was very clean, very efficient, and the end product looked great. He was working by himself today, so he put in a long, hard day. The last of the chilled birds was bagged and labeled around 7:30 in the evening. Karen, my dad, my brother, and I tried to help him as much as we could, which wasn't much. It was interesting to hear about his chicken and turkey operation, and about some of his interactions with his customers. Like us, he often has to explain to customers why our products (meat chickens, turkeys, and eggs) are more expensive than coventionally raised products and why they are worth it.
Ray headed out on his 2 1/2 hour ride home, and I checked on the freezers holding the 17-25 pound turkeys, parked the tractor in the barn, checked on the cows, and then headed to the house for supper at around 8:30. Another turkey season had come to a close.
--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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Saturday, October 8, was the day we processed the 48 turkeys we had been raising since mid-June here at Howmars Farm. The birds were 18 1/2 weeks old and were in great shape from all the organic grain and pasture they had been feeding on. This year we had mobile processing unit come right to the farm to do the birds. This way the turkeys didn't have to be loaded into the back of our pickup and transported for over an hour to an unfamiliar farm to await their fate.
The outfit that came to our place was Cabin View Farm, a poultry farm in Littleton, NH, owned by Ray Garcia. Ray had kindly worked us into his schedule, and he arrived a little after 11 AM to get set up. His operation was very clean, very efficient, and the end product looked great. He was working by himself today, so he put in a long, hard day. The last of the chilled birds was bagged and labeled around 7:30 in the evening. Karen, my dad, my brother, and I tried to help him as much as we could, which wasn't much. It was interesting to hear about his chicken and turkey operation, and about some of his interactions with his customers. Like us, he often has to explain to customers why our products (meat chickens, turkeys, and eggs) are more expensive than coventionally raised products and why they are worth it.
Ray headed out on his 2 1/2 hour ride home, and I checked on the freezers holding the 17-25 pound turkeys, parked the tractor in the barn, checked on the cows, and then headed to the house for supper at around 8:30. Another turkey season had come to a close.
--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
ABOUT THE BOVINE BUGLE Got a question for Jonathan?
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We moved the 6-week old turkeys into the poultry tractor ( the movable shelter) this morning. The shelter was ready for the new occupants since Noah and I brought the 60+ meat birds to Adams Turkey Farm this morning for processing. It seems like only a few short days ago that the day-old chicks were arriving at the farm.
The meat chickens, now nine weeks old, looked great and were ready to go. We had to wait a couple of extra days to have them processed because Dave and Judy had some equipment problems in their processing facility, and they couldn't process any birds while they waited for repair parts to arrive. Ben and I loaded the chickens in the back of the pickup, and Noah went with me on the 50-minute ride to Adams'. Noah was a great help in unloading the birds, as he climbed into the back of the truck and kept crowding the birds towards the tailgate where I could reach them.
Dave and Judy were doing double-duty today, trying to catch up on the backlog of chickens their customers wanted processed. On a normal day they would process 150 or so chickens, but today they thought they would have to do over 300. Throw in the fact that they were doing all of this on a hot, humid July day, and I would say they were earning every penney of the fee they charge for processing our birds.
--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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The last of the summer guests arrive at Howmars Farm
The two-week old turkey poults took up residence at the farm today. Dave Adams, of Adams Turkey Farm, called this morning to double check on how many poults we wanted and to tell me when to meet him at a local farm store where he was delivering turkeys. We ordered 40 hens and 10 toms, and I could meet Dave in about an hour in Enosburg at Bates' Farm and Home store.
After Dave and I caught up on what was going on at each other's farm, we loaded the three boxes of poults into my truck and I headed back to the farm. The pen was bedded and ready for the turkeys, so it was a quick job to get them settled into their new home. We'll keep them inside until they are about 6 weeks old, and then they will be put outside in their portable shelter until they go for processing at Dave's farm.
So now, with the cows, heifers, and steers out grazing, the laying hens and meatbirds in their portable shelters, the layer chicks and turkey poults off to a good start, Christmas trees planted, and the garden in, I'd say summer season is in full swing here at Howmars Farm. In a couple of days, once school is out, the summer work crew will be at Mom and Dad's mercy!!
Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont
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Jonathan Gates reports from Howmars Farm in Franklin, Vermont.
The two-week old turkey poults took up residence at the farm today. Dave Adams, of Adams Turkey Farm, called this morning to double check on how many poults we wanted and to tell me when to meet him at a local farm store where he was delivering turkeys. We ordered 40 hens and 10 toms, and I could meet Dave in about an hour in Enosburg at Bates' Farm and Home store.
So now, with the cows, heifers, and steers out grazing, the laying hens and meatbirds in their portable shelters, the layer chicks and turkey poults off to a good start, Christmas trees planted, and the garden in, I'd say summer season is in full swing here at Howmars Farm. In a couple of days, once school is out, the summer work crew will be at Mom and Dad's mercy!!